


Stephen: Abduction: Waiting It Out, Part II

by glitteredsins, jennandanica



Series: Citadel: Antony Starr and Stephen Amell [137]
Category: Actor RPF, Arrow (TV 2012) RPF, Banshee (TV) RPF, Canadian Actor RPF, Citadel (Journalfen RPG), New Zealand Actor RPF, The Boys (TV 2019) RPF
Genre: BDSM, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-20 02:42:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20667980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitteredsins/pseuds/glitteredsins, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica
Summary: In Citadel, Antony Starr is an AU (alternate universe) character. He tells people he's an IT Risk Management and Computer Security Consultant (his official cover) but really he's a ex-military, sometimes mercenary, computer hacker and master thief hired by collectors and other ruthless people to steal for them: art, jewels, money, information... Citadel knows Antony's true occupation and he would never target the organization or any of its membership. Through Cit, he's met Stephen Amell (played RL) and fallen hard. This is their story.





	Stephen: Abduction: Waiting It Out, Part II

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-posting (archiving) of all logs for the Antony Starr/Stephen Amell storyline in the BDSM RPS RPG [Citadel](http://citadel.dreamwidth.org/read).

Left alone once more Stephen has nothing to occupy himself than to dwell on his predicament. His legs are starting to ache from being restrained and he can feel every bruise, every cut. He plays over the conversation with the guy who brought him food, and for the first time he lets himself consider what _who_ Antony might really be. _A contract killer? A fucking hit man?...No...that can't be...but what about the guns, what about how secretive he is about his overseas trips...what about all that fucking money..._

Sandor fucking hates this place. They're in New York, of all cities, and he's stuck here, in this stupid warehouse, with these stupid assholes. The only thing that makes it worth it is the paycheque and the bragging rights he'll get when they take down Antony. But in the meantime, he's getting restless and everyone else seems to have fucked off. Passing the faggot's cell he stops to chat with the guards then nods at the door. "Let me see him."

"Joseph said--"

"I don't give a flying fuck what Joseph said," Sandor growls, looming over the other men. "I brought him in. I get to see him."

Stephen hears the raised voices and it pulls him out of the dark thoughts that have occupied him since the other man left him. He straightens up, on alert once more, eyes fixed on the door. When it opens he can't help but experience a frisson of fear; this man is dangerous, this man has already hurt him and enjoyed doing it.

Sandor closes the door behind him. "I am getting bored waiting for your faggot boyfriend to show up. Maybe I should check out what he sees in you."

It takes almost all he has for Stephen to keep his expression impassive. After a moment where he seems to consider the other man he raises a brow. "I'd love to see you call Antony that to his face."

Sandor laughs. "Believe me, I look forward to it. Unlike most of the others here, I have actually worked with him."

Stephen blinks at that. "Then you really should have known better to go up against him then." All this is bravado, Stephen's so far out of his depth here it feels like some fucked up nightmare. But he won't let these men see him crumble, won't let them see that he's questioning everything he knows about the man he calls 'husband'.

Sandor shakes his head. "I owe Janko's family my loyalty. They hired me when no one else would - because of Antony - and I knew there was a reason he was such a pussy about us fucking around with the women. Ordering us to leave them alone after we'd risked our lives to rescue them. Fuck that. They owed us, they should have been grateful. But now I get it. He didn't want anyone knowing he was a faggot, a cock-sucking shitpacker."

He should be scared of this man, he knows he should, but Stephen is almost numb with shock and it's all he can do to not roll his eyes at the overly provocative language. Clearly designed to rile him, or humiliate him. Either which way, Stephen really couldn't give a shit. So he doesn't reply, he simply stares at the other man as if he's studying him, and finding him lacking.

"You are pretty though," Sandor continues, gaze raking over Stephen. "And I'm bored. And we're lacking in women here." He steps closer, brushing his fingers over the cut on Stephen's cheek.

Despite himself, despite the revulsion he feels as the other man reaches for him, Stephen can't help the dry humourless laugh that escapes him at his captor's words. He turns his head away, not because the touch hurts - it does - but because his skin crawls at the feel of the other man's touch. "I'm not so sure we want you in the faggot club, asshole," he says softly.

"Mouthy too. Which is why I don't trust you not to bite me," Sandor says, unzipping his pants, his cock freed from his boxers. "But you have other holes I can use. Like in prison."

_He's going to rape me..._ A cold wash of abject terror washes over Stephen, and he looks up at the other man. "Don't you fucking touch me," he spits out. "Don't you fucking dare..."

"No?" Sandor laughs, his cock growing even harder at the thought of having Stephen fight him. Of fucking Antony's bitch. "What are you going to do about it?" he taunts, grabbing Stephen's arm and pulling him away from the wall. He throws him to the floor and pushes him onto his front, already dragging his shorts down over his ass.

Stephen's face hits the floor first, he's unable to break the fall and it makes him see stars, bound hand and foot he can't fight back, can't stop this. He has never felt so powerless in his life. When he feels his shorts dragged down, baring his ass, he does the only thing he can do - he starts shouting, venting his anger, his fear in his voice.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME! DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH," he bellows out, hoping, praying someone will come and stop this.

Sandor just laughs again and angles his hips so he can get his cock lined up, ready to thrust when he's suddenly struck in the side and knocked off the man. He looks up to find Joseph over him, sheer fury on the man's face. "What the fuck?" he growls, already stumbling to his feet.

"I could ask you the same," Joseph yells. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like? Fucking this one," Sandor says, taking the opportunity to kick Stephen in the ribs. Hard.

Joseph slams into Sandor. Carrying him back against the wall. "Leave him alone."

"Make me," Sandor challenges, driving his palms into Joseph's chest.

For a moment Stephen feels an overwhelming sense of relief, someone, the man who brought him food, is intervening, but moments later he's crying out in pain as he's kicked, and ribs that may have just been bruised before now break. He tries to curl upon himself, hindered by the cable tied, by his shorts, by the pain, he tries to cover his head as the two men stumble around and over him, catching him with booted feet.

The noise brings a crowd, Janko shoving his way through it. "What is going on?" he asks the guards, one of whom is pulling their captive free from the fight between two of his men. "Stop it!" he yells.

Joseph keeps his fists up, at the ready, waiting until Sandor steps back as well, the two of them standing there, their chests heaving.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Janko demands, gesturing at the crowd to disperse, a glance at Stephen, his state of partial undress already answering at least part of his question.

"Sandor was trying to rape him," Joseph says.

"So? We're going to kill him anyway. Why shouldn't I enjoy myself?" Sandor growls.

_...we're going to kill him anyway..._ Where he is, curled up, his ass bared to the room, Stephen raises his hands to cover his face, not wanting the men here to see how fucking terrified he is. He starts to shake, a mix of adrenaline, shock and cold conspiring to humiliate him further.

"Because I didn't fucking sign up for this," Joseph grits out, shaking his head. He sets his jaw and glares at Janko. "You make him stop or you find a replacement for me."

Sandor laughs. "Like that would be difficult. What's your problem anyway? You want to fuck him yourself?"

"Stop it," Janko says again, looking as pissed off as they've ever seen him. "Did it ever occur to you," he addresses Sandor, "that Antony might not come if he believed his property to have been spoiled? Some men won't." As it is, he has no clue whether Antony would care or not, but it sounds good and it lets him say, "You're risking our whole operation."

Sandor shakes his head. "You didn't tell us he was off limits."

"I am telling you now," Janko points out. He turns to the guards. "No one is to come in here but myself and Joseph. Is that clear?" When they nod, he adds, "And you make sure each and every shift is told the same thing."

Stephen lays as still as he can his face still covered, his heart in his throat as the men argue about him. Then he hears himself referred to as Antony's 'property' and it with that he's reminded of all the times Antony promised he'd always keep him safe, that he was Antony's most treasured possession, that no-one would ever harm him... and it was all lies. All of it. Tears prickle at the backs of his eyelids and he sucks in a ragged breath, moaning at the pain from his ribs, using that to push down this sudden wash of absolute misery, of abandonment...

Janko turns back to Sandor. "If I catch you in here again, you're gone," he says, watching as the man nods before stomping angrily out the door. He blows out a breath. "See to him," he tells Joseph. "Put his clothes back on, clean him up, get him a blanket, I don't care. You're responsible for him until Antony comes."

"Wait," Joseph protests. He didn't sign up to be a glorified babysitter. "That's not--"

"Not what? You think it's beneath you?" Janko snorts. "You either want him safe or you do not. Choose. If you don't, I'll let Istvan in here."

Fuck. "I'll take care of him," Joseph says with a sigh.

"Good." Janko takes another look at their captive, his hands over his face, his ass bared, obviously hurting. "See that you do."

Footfalls, talking, and then quiet...Stephen only pulls his attention back to the room when it falls silent, he lowers his hands slowly and raises his head. He's not alone, the man who brought him food is the only other person left here. The man who saved him from being raped.

"Thank you." It's pathetic really, to thank a man who's helping to keep you captive, but it's all Stephen has to hang on to. That this man seems to want to keep him - relatively safe.

"You're welcome," Joseph says, moving to help Stephen upright, his shorts back in place. "Are you okay?" It's a stupid question. Of course he's not. But he trusts Stephen will know what he means.

Stephen looks up, his breathing shallow to minimise the pain in his ribs, a fresh bruise on his forehead from where he'd face planted when his would be rapist flipped him over. "What did I do to deserve this?" he asks, his voice flat. He's shaking in earnest now, his hands and feet icy cold.

"You? Nothing," Joseph answers honestly. "You're a means to an end." He rises to his feet and goes to the door, knocking to get the guard to open it. If Janko wants him to take care of Stephen and he doesn't care how he does it, then fine, that's what he'll do. He tells the guard what he wants and to make it quick.

Stephen tries to shift into a more comfortable position, which is nigh on impossible given the cable ties and his injuries. He whimpers as he sucks in a deep breath, and the pain makes his head spin, a wash of nausea adding to his misery. "How long have I been here? Has Antony responded yet?"

Joseph stares at Stephen for a moment, weighing his options. "He's in New York now," he tells him. "Waiting for my boss to give him our demands."

Closing his eyes Stephen allows himself just a moment of relief. He may feel utterly betrayed that Antony allowed this to happen, but he is absolutely certain his husband will get him out of this, and do anything to make that happen. "When he comes for me, I'll tell him. What you did."

"Thank you, but if your faith in him is warranted, I'm a dead man," Joseph says quietly, glancing at his watch.

"Not if I say so," Stephen reaches both hands up to wipe at the blood trickling down his face. "He'll do anything for me. _Anything._" He studies the blood on his fingers before wiping them down his tee. "You've all underestimated what you've done."

"Maybe," Joseph allows, his plan still to get the hell out of here before Antony arrives, "but if I have to sit in here with you until he comes, let's not spending our whole time talking about who's fucked up." A knock comes at the door and the guards come in a second later, bringing with them a thin mattress, a bulging garbage bag and a two huge bottles of water. He waits until they set items down and then nods, "Good. Now leave us." He look at Stephen. "Here's the deal. I'll take the cuffs off, let you clean up, there's blankets and clothes in the bag as well as a bandage if you want me to wrap your ribs for you. If you try and hurt me or escape, I will hurt you and I'll make your time here more miserable than Sandor ever could. If you behave, we'll try and make it pass as pleasantly as possible. Your choice."

Stephen simply offers up his wrists. He's in no state to fight back, either mentally or physically, he's not even sure he can stand without throwing up or passing out.

"What's your name?" Stephen asks quietly.

Fuck. He cuts the first tie free and then the second. "It's Joseph," he answers, just as quietly.

Nodding Stephen hisses out a breath when the ties come away. He brings his wrists to his face to inspect the bloody abrasions. "I guess I won't be filming next week huh?" he manages a humourless noise, his smile twisted by the swelling on his face.

"Which is why it will be easier to simply kill you," Joseph says, moving to Stephen's ankles. "So if you want to survive, you will play along. You will let my boss take his photos, you'll play up your pain, you'll swear you won't tell the police, that you'll disappear and lick your wounds and tell your people you went on - what do they call it? a bender, or something."

"It never occurred to me to go to the police," Stephen stills as Joseph cuts the ties from his ankles. "Why would I do that when Antony will deal with all this? I may have been in the dark about the exact nature of what he does, but I knew enough to know it wasn't all legal." His ankles free Stephen reaches down to pull at the laces of his running shoes and kick them off before peeling away the bloodied socks.

Joseph reaches into the bag and pulls out a few blankets and a flat lumpy pillow which he tosses on the mattress. A pair of sweats follows, along with the elastic bandage he mentioned, some protein bars and a towel. He hands the towel to Stephen and moves one of the jugs of water closer. "That part? About Antony? You can say it to me but don't say it to my boss. You want to play the innocent here. This is not about saving face or standing up to him. This is about surviving and you want to convince him you were stupid, you made a mistake, you knew nothing."

"I didn't know anything, nothing I could have told anyone," Stephen protests as he carefully dips the corner of the towel in the water and starts to wipe at his face. "I always made it clear I didn't want to know, and Antony never told me, even when..." he catches himself and concentrates instead on cleaning up the blood from his face and neck, "and I was stupid... I _am_ stupid..." he adds quietly. Thinking once more about all the promises.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Joseph says, shaking his head. "My wife would say the same thing. It's how we keep you safe, or try to," he adds softly.

"Safe?" Stephen pauses from soaking the towel again, this time to start cleaning the cuts around his ankles. "He told me he'd keep me safe, that he'd never let anyone harm me, never let his shit come to our door... and look at me," he spits the words out. "You're lying to yourself if you think you can keep her safe, just like he lied to me."

"And you're lying to yourself if you truly believed he could protect you against everything in this world," Joseph retorts. "He's only a man and whether you knew exactly what he was and what he's done, you knew what you were getting into, on some level you knew. And you got involved with him anyway."

"I didn't _know_ about this world," Stephen snaps back. "I didn't know how dark it went, or how deep he was. Being told he casually kills people for fuck sake?" Stephen swallows down the bile that threatens. "I knew nothing of this, only got hints months later and even then it was too late, far, far too late for me to get out."

Joseph sits back on his haunches. "Casually kills people?" he shakes his head. "I've never met your boyfriend but the one thing I do know is that when he took out Janko's family and their lieutenants, he made sure there were no women or children in that compound. He made sure he did it while they were meeting and everyone had been cleared out, off to school or the markets or given the day off. And from what I've heard? He only did it because Zoran would not leave well enough alone. The man was a madman and he would never have backed down. If Antony hadn't taken him out, he would have tried to take out Antony, you, Antony's whole crew and he wouldn't have given a shit about collateral damage."

And that? That sounds like the Antony he knows. It affords him little comfort, however, not when he's locked in a room, trying to clean the blood off himself and wincing with every breath. "And Janko? He's any better?" Stephen shakes his head. He finishes up washing in silence, until he's sure he's cleaned all the open wounds best he can. Only then does he slowly, carefully, push himself to his feet so he can kick off his shorts and pull on the sweat pants.

"No, he's not, not now," Joseph admits finally, unrolling the elastic bandage, the clips palmed in his hand. "But I owe his family and this is how I keep _my_ family safe."

"And fuck me and _my_ family?" Stephen raises his arms best he can to allow Joseph room to wrap his ribs up, grunting and chanting "fuckfuckfuck," under his breath at the fresh spike of pain.

Joseph wraps the bandage around Stephen, clipping it into place. "If it's a choice between you and your boyfriend and my wife and my son, then yes, fuck you and your family," he says softly. "But I am sorry it has to be that way."

There's really nothing Stephen can say to that, so he doesn't. Once Joseph is done Stephen tries to pull on the long sleeve top, which proves far more difficult than he'd anticipated but he struggles on, refusing help until he's done, at which point he plants his ass on the mattress before he falls over. "I think I'm going to throw up again."

"Drain," Joseph points out. "We can wash it down."

Stephen crawls on hand and knees to the drain and he leans over it as his mouth waters and his stomach heaves, moments later he vomits up the burger he'd eaten until his stomach is empty.

"You should lie down," Joseph suggests, handing Stephen the bloodied towel, a clean spot wetted with water. He pours a cup of water as well and sets it beside the man. "Try and get some sleep."

Stephen rinses his mouth out, spitting the water out before he drinks a little, he wipes his mouth and then crawls back to the mattress. Every part of him aches, and he's not sure he isn't in medical shock with all he's been put through. He draws a blanket up over himself and looks up at Joseph. "Are you staying?" He can't help the note of fear that colours his words, he's still shaking from what 'Sandor' tried to do to him.

Joseph nods and takes a seat at the very bottom of the mattress, back against the wall. "I'm staying."

Stephen's sigh is audible, he lays down carefully, fidgeting until he finds a position that hurts the least, then he shuts his eyes. He's sure he won't sleep, but he's very aware he needs to rest.

///

The guards check in on them on a hour later and Joseph orders some food, light, plain, easy on the stomach carbs. "Make sure it's hot," he orders, certain they're amused by someone his level being put on babysitting duty, but he honestly doesn't care. He wouldn't let a woman be raped on his watch, he's not about to let it happen to a man. He glances over at Stephen then tilts his head back against the wall, wishing he'd been able to hide his family even further away than he had. But Miklos's health problems had meant they had to stay where they would be near a hospital, and not just any hospital, but a state of the art children's hospital. Fuck. That and the money offered had left him no choice.

Stephen startles from the light doze he'd fallen into when the door opens, he lays still though, waiting until his heart rate returns to normal before lifting his head to look down his makeshift bed toward Joseph. "Have I been out long?" he asks, his voice gruff.

"About an hour," Joseph says, glancing at his watch. "I ordered some food. Broth, bread, pasta."

"No news yet?" Stephen carefully pushes up, hissing through his teeth as his body complains, having seized up while he'd dozed. He leans back against the wall and lifts his hand to his throat, his fingers petting the metal of his day collar without conscious thought.

"Janko's making him wait. Worry about you. Try and get him off his head," Joseph explains, then nods at the chain. "Did he give that to you?"

Stephen curls his fingers around it, almost tempted to pull it off - seeing it now not as a symbol of his commitment to Antony, but one of broken promises. "Yeah, he did. Not long after we met."

"And the ring?" Joseph says, pointing at the band on Stephen's left ring finger. "None of them have noticed because at home we wear them on our right hand," he explains, showing his own. "But I know that here you wear your wedding rings on that finger."

Stephen looks away for a moment, his jaw ticks as he considers his reply, when he does answer he does so with a small shrug. "Like I said, you've all underestimated what I am to him."

Fuck. They'd had Antony and Stephen under surveillance long enough to know they were living together, travelling together -- that this man beside him meant more to Antony Starr than anyone else -- but no one had suggested they were _married_. Secretly married. The thought and care that would have to go into such a thing - and for a man like Antony to even take that step... They'd known Stephen was his weakness but perhaps he's also his strength. In which case, they're all fucked. Joseph contemplates passing along that piece of information to Janko but he can't see how it would make a difference except to bring even more harm to Stephen. "How did you meet?" he asks instead.

Surprised that Joseph hasn't jumped up and run off to impart that news to his boss, Stephen smiles at the question. _If only you knew..._ "I met him at a club, we hooked up that night and I knew within the week he was someone I was going to commit to."

Joseph gives a soft laugh. "I met my wife at a dance. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was supposed to dance with different men but once I had danced with her, I wouldn't let anyone else near her. I asked to marry her the next day and she told her father if he didn't say yes, she would run away with me." He smiles at Stephen. "Sometimes the heart knows before the head does."

"So you know how he feels about me then?" Stephen can't help the dig. He clutches at his side as he tries to move to stuff a cushion behind his back. "Doesn't matter now though does it?" he adds, settling back again with a sigh.

"Because of this?" Joseph asks, motioning around them. "I thought you believed he would come for you? Rescue you."

"He will. I have absolutely no doubt about that." _He owns me..._. Stephen's tone underlines his surety. "He'll move mountains to get me back, but this," he mirrors Joseph's motion in indicating the situation, "changes everything between he and I."

"If you get out, you'll leave him over this?" Joseph asks, rubbing his thumb over his own wedding ring.

"It's more complicated than that." Stephen can't let himself think about 'after' not really because he knows they can't come back from this unscathed. "Way more complicated."

Joseph nods, thinking that over for a minute. "You said earlier he'd listen to you if you told him what I did for you?"

Stephen's head comes up at that, he meets Joseph's gaze. "Yeah. And I meant it."

Joseph can't believe he's even contemplating this. "Janko is paying me $500,000. I'd need at least that and protection for my family."

His eyes widening in shock, Stephen doesn't believe what he's just heard. He swallows and then licks his lower lip. "$2 million and your family will be placed under his care," he counters. "And that means more than just being kept safe... he looks out for his people."

_2 million_. Joseph starts to say something when there's a knock at the door and one of the guards comes in the food he'd ordered. "Thanks. Any word?"

"They're eating too and then he's making the call," the guard says, barely looking at Stephen.

"Good. I'll let you know when we're done," Joseph says, watching the man leave, the door closed tight and locked behind him. He blows out a breath and starts unpacking the bag. "Garlic bread, chicken soup, pasta with cheese and pasta with meat..." He stills for a moment. "I can't get you out of here. The best I can do is get some kind of word or hint to Antony and I don't even know how I'm going to do that yet."

"I'm in no shape to try and get out," Stephen lowers his voice as he reaches for the soup. "I'd be a liability, it's not worth the risk." He peels the lid off the container and picks up a plastic spoon. "Just leave me unrestrained and when shit goes down stay by my side, keep me safe. If you can get any messages to him... let him know how many he's up against." He stirs the soup, trying to summon some enthusiasm for it.

"Two million and Antony's protection for my family just for keeping you safe?" Joseph shakes his head. "It doesn't seem like I'm doing enough. I won't be able stop Janko from striking or cutting you if he wants fresh blood. But I can make sure you stay unrestrained if you don't fight back and I can make sure no one else touches you."

"Do as much as you can," Stephen spoons some soup into his mouth and swallows it. "You might not think it's enough, but you stopped me being..." he pauses, the word sticks in his mouth. "Well... if that bastard had had his way... I can't even imagine what hell Antony would visit on you all."

"Is what Janko said true?" Joseph asks, helping himself to the pasta with meat sauce since it's likely too heavy for Stephen. "Do you think it would change how he feels about you?"

Stephen doesn't even look up. "Of course it would." He knows Antony would still love him, but the _dominant_, the _Master_? He's pretty certain that those aspects of his husband would struggle deeply to come to terms with such a violation of their... property. "Like I said. It's complicated."

"But he would still come for you? He would still want you," Joseph says, mostly curious. He's seen men turn their backs on their wives before because of the same thing but he's never given a thought to how two men would deal with such a situation.

Tired, in pain and utterly lost, Stephen doesn't censor his words, words that are flat, toneless. "I belong to him. He won't let anyone else have me."

Joseph's eyes widen. "Belong? I don't understand. Are you--" He's not even sure how to put what he's thinking into words. "Does he abuse you?"

Shaking his head. "Not at all. He loves me, cherishes me, he's made me incredibly happy, and I him. He's my everything."

Relief washes through Joseph. "Good." He nods and says again, "Good. I will do everything in my power to make sure you return to him." He glances at his watch. "Eat up. Janko will be here soon."

Stephen finishes the soap, eats some of the bread stopping only when his belly starts to protest. He helps pack the food away and then makes himself drink some water. "He's going to take more pictures?" he asks eventually. He can't let himself think about how much longer this nightmare will play out.

Joseph nods, leaning back against the wall again. "Yes, and Antony will have asked for proof of life so he'll let you talk to him, for a few seconds, but don't try anything. Tell him - tell him you love him, beg him to come get you. Do _not_ let on that anything has changed in here. Janko won't hesitate to kill me if he suspects and if you piss him off, he will insist you're tied up again."

The news he'll be able to speak to his husband brings tears to his eyes. He may feel utterly betrayed by Antony for allowing this to happen, but all he craves right now is to be wrapped up in those arms to hear his husband soothe him. "Okay, I understand," he manages before he wipes at his eyes with his fingers.

///

It's another fifteen minutes before Janko appears, the guards stepping inside to flank him. "I see you took my 'take care of him' to heart," he says, raising an eyebrow at Stephen's state of dress and the additions to the room.

"He's not our target," Joseph responds, rising to his feet. "And the blood was only covering up the actual damage."

Janko takes another look, surprised to find Joseph's right. The bruises, the cut, the anguish on Stephen's face, despite being cleaned up, somehow make things even worse.

"His ribs are broken too. I wrapped them. I figured the last thing we need is a punctured lung," Joseph points out. "Since I'm assuming Antony's asked or will ask for proof of life."

Stephen watches this exchange, his gaze flicking between Joseph and Janko. He says nothing, not wanting to invite any further attention than he'll already be subjected to, even so, he wants to ask, needs to know that Antony is coming for him.

Janko nods. "He has and I've already given him our terms." He pulls his phone from his pocket. "If you pull anything," he tells Stephen. "If you tell him how many we are, where you're being held, names, anything, I will let Sandor back in here the moment we hang up. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Stephen nods. "I won't do anything stupid, you have my word."

Janko calls Antony's number. "You have sixty seconds," he tells him when the call connects, handing the phone to Stephen.

It's a shaking hand that takes the phone and brings it to his ear, Stephen closes his eyes to block out everything else, he swallows. "Antony?" Not 'Tony' - not here, not in front of these people.

"Yeah." Antony nods, even though Stephen can't see it. Feeling sick to his stomach at the knowledge that Stephen's only in this position because of him. "It's me. I'm here, and I'm going to get you out of there, whatever it takes. I promise. I just need you to hold on for me." Meaning that both mentally and physically.

Stephen bows his head, aware that they're all watching him. "I know. I will. I am." His voice cracks a little. "Please, please get me out of here..."

"I will. I swear," Antony says, gaze on the computer screen as the program he's running narrows in on the cell towers. Closer and closer. "I'm so sorry. I fucked up. It should be me in there. I'm going to give them whatever they want and they'll let you go. Just -- know how much I love you. You are _everything_ to me." Balancing the things he needs to say to Stephen with the things he knows Janko needs to hear if he has his guys listening in.

"Hurry up, please...I can't take this much longer..." Stephen wants to say so much more, but he won't let these men hear him say 'I love you', 'you did this' ...so he lets his misery speak for him. Hearing Antony's voice doesn't comfort him like he thought it would, it simply makes the void between them feel bigger still.

The desperation in Stephen's voice tears into Antony. He won't just kill Janko. He'll rip him apart with his bare fucking hands. But that can't be his focus right now. His focus has to be on Stephen and getting him out safely. Everything else is just noise. "I will," he promises. "I'll give them whatever they want."

_No you won't - they want you..._ Even now, after all this, he knows that Antony won't hand himself over, which is what this asshole wants, Antony will come in here like a vengeful god and bring down holy hell on these men. "Okay, okay...I'll..I'll see you soon..." And with that Janko snatches the phone from him.

Janko smiles, switching the phone to speaker. "There you go. Proof of life," he says. "Do what I want and I'll free him. Try anything or fail to comply with my instructions and he dies, slowly and painfully."

Antony grits his teeth, playing along, giving his crew a thumbs up as the program hits paydirt: full triangulation. "I already told you. Whatever you want."

"And I already told you what I want. You. In sixty minutes, you'll receive a text with an address. You will have thirty minutes to meet my men there, alone and unarmed. They will bring you to me and I'll release Stephen. Your life for his. It's that simple."

"Fine. You've got it," Antony assures him, the disconnect between the fear he's putting on for Janko and the true icy cold fear/anger he's shoved back and is holding at bay one of the strangest things he's ever felt. If he knew he couldn't get Stephen back his own way, he'd follow Janko's instructions without fail. Lay down his life in a moment.

"I have one of my most trusted men on Stephen," Janko says, wanting to drive the point home, especially after all he's heard about Antony. "If you try anything, if you come in here, guns blazing, bring your men, whatever, he'll slit Stephen's throat. I won't care about the slow and painful. I'll go for simply robbing you of the life most precious to you."

\-- _...don't listen...don't listen...don't listen..._ Stephen chants the words in his head, trying to drown out the sound of Janko's voice, of hearing his own death being talked about so casually. He feels nauseous again, he heaves and brings his hand to his mouth, willing down the vomit. It's only just dawning on him that Antony is going to risk his life to get him out, his and, presumably, Marcus' too...Christos... _oh fuck...no, no, no..._ He draws his knees up, presses his forehead to them and covers his ears with his hands. _What if he dies, what if he dies coming for me, what if...._

"I understand," Antony says quietly, firmly. "I won't try anything. I'll wait for your text."

Janko smiles. "Good. I'll be seeing you soon," he says and hangs up. "Your boyfriend's more reasonable than I'd been led to believe," he tells Stephen.

"Which is a good reason why we should let him go, after," Joseph points out. "He made a mistake getting involved with Antony but he's innocent in all of this."

Janko gives Joseph a look. "If you don't think you can follow through, I can bring in someone else."

"Of course I can follow through," Joseph says coldly, stiffening. "You're paying me, you brought me out of retirement, I'll do what I signed up to do."

Janko stares at him for a moment longer then nods. "See that you do."

///

Stephen keeps his head down, covered, his eyes closed, still curled up even after the door closes and silence falls again. _they're going to kill me anyway...they were never going to let me go..._ his breathing is shallow, ragged, painful. _I can't do this....I can't handle this....no..no..no..._

"They're gone," Joseph says when he hears the door lock. He crouches beside Stephen. "And you and I still have a deal. I will do my best to see you get out of here."

Stephen lowers his hands and slowly raises his head, his gaze darting around the room to check for himself they are alone. "His life for mine?" He can't imagine how he'd be able to live with himself if Antony really is simply going to follow Janko's directions and not risk a rescue. _No. Antony won't be told... he'll come in here, Marcus will come here... they won't let him just walk in here alone..._ With his faith in Antony shaken Stephen now puts his trust in Marcus; that Marcus won't let Antony just comply, that he will be right beside Antony's side to come rescue him.

"That's what Janko wants but you already told me Antony won't do that. He'll find a way to rescue you and take us all out," Joseph says, although at this point every possibility makes him uncomfortable. Less and less certain of his own survival.

Stephen tries to take a calming breath, but his ribs prevent him breathing too deeply and he winces as he tests the limits of his pain. "He will, he and Marcus." He nods as if trying to convince himself instead of Joseph. "I guess we have an hour or so before we find out huh?"

Joseph nods. "I know I have no right to ask it, but will you do me a favour?"

Stephen eyes Joseph for a moment, offers a small shrug. "What is it?"

"If I get you out but I don't make it, will you see my wife gets the money?" Joseph asks. "It is for our son. His health. Her name is Katalin Csok." He spells out the last name. "And she lives in Barcs, like the sound a dog makes," he explains, hoping Stephen might remember. "In Hungary."

Stephen pauses, trying to commit to memory the names and places; his memory is usually excellent, but here, like this, under so much psychological stress he's struggling. "Katalin...'choke'?" He sounds out the name. "In Barcs... yeah, yeah I can make that happen."

"Okay, thank you," Joseph nods, relieved, suddenly more determined than ever to get Stephen out of here when Antony comes. _When_ not if, having bought into the other man's certainty and everything he's heard over the years completely. Finally he can do both the right thing and make sure his family is taken care of. "Tell me more about you and Antony. What do you do together?"

Rubbing a hand over his face, Stephen sighs, his brow wrinkled. "Why do you want to know?" Talking about his and Antony's relationship is not something he does, usually out of necessity, but being circumspect is so ingrained he can't just open up so casually, especially here.

Joseph shrugs. "Passing time," he says, shifting to sit on the mattress and lean against the wall once more. "Do you watch movies, television? Do you work out together?" He smiles. "Who does the cooking?"

"Yeah, we do all that stuff, we're a couple." Stephen winces as he shifts position, unable to find any way to sit that doesn't simply _hurt_. "Despite everyone here seeming to think he's the devil incarnate, he and I are a couple who do normal shit."

"Most of the people here are stunned you're a man," Joseph offers. "Our world is not very... forgiving of men being with men. For most it would be considered an automatic weakness, a failing. It speaks to Antony's reputation that it hasn't for him. Everyone's still terrified of him."

"I didn't think it was common knowledge," Stephen reaches for the plastic cup of water and takes a sip. "And for the record, I'm gay, he isn't. He sleeps with women too."

"While you are together?" Joseph asks.

Stephen lifts one shoulder, any more is too painful. "I don't know. He may do, probably when he goes away, but I told him I didn't need to know. It doesn't affect us."

Joseph chuckles. "My wife would never be so understanding," he says then sighs. "It's not common knowledge, but there have been rumours for a while, and certainly, as they spread, it made people think they could do things they wouldn't otherwise try. Not because you were a man, necessarily, but because you existed at all. And then Zoran and Janko..." he gestures around them again. "What do you Americans call it? A perfect storm?"

"So if I'd been just a casual thing, this wouldn't have happened?" Stephen waves a hand around, his movements though are a little uncoordinated, his breathing shallow. "He promised he'd protect me, he promised no one would ever hurt me..."

"And he failed," Joseph says quietly. "Which makes him a man. Not the devil incarnate. He had security on you. All the time. It took us months to orchestrate this. Waiting for just the right moment." He sighs, leaning his head back against the wall. "His biggest failure was letting Janko live and he did that because he didn't want to be a monster. He thought Janko had nothing to do with the family business - and he didn't, until now."

It takes a moment for Stephen to process what Joseph has just said. "Huh? I didn't have security all the time, not until recently I didn't," he sips the water again, trying to swallow down the bile that has burnt his throat, "and not when we were together."

Joseph looks at Stephen. "You had security on you all the time," he repeats. "You might not have been aware of them but we were."

Stephen shakes his head. "No, no, he wouldn't have done that without telling me, it was my choice to take Christos on, to have him at my back..." He peers into the now empty cup and tosses it aside.

Joseph's not about to argue the point with Stephen but he knows Antony had security on him and Stephen from the moment Zoran went off the rails. Security that had followed them overseas and intercepted Zoran's men in Goa. And then security just in case. Even after Zoran was gone. Even after Janko was presumed not to be a threat. He shrugs.

Despite his protestations, Stephen now adds this apparent deception to the new, and sadly growing, list of Antony's sins. He turns his face away and closes his eyes, the pain overwhelming him for a few moments. He's noticed his breathing is getting a little more laboured and he wonders if his broken ribs have done some internal damage.

"You should try and rest again," Joseph says quietly. "Now that negotiations are over, it won't be long."

"When it happens, whatever happens," Stephen pauses for a moment, not daring to think about it too much. "I'm not going to be able to do much... to help." He opens his eyes and turns to look at Joseph again. "But for both our benefit, do not leave my side. Do you understand? That's the only way I can protect you."

Joseph nods. "I won't," he promises and he means it, but he very much doubts he'll ever get out of here. "I swear," he says, crossing himself.

Exhausted from pain, from lack of sleep, from the effects of stress, Stephen falls silent and his eyes start to droop. He fights to stay awake, now he knows Antony is coming for him he can't help but worry about how that might manifest. There's been violence enough so far - and he knows there is a whole lot more heading his way.


End file.
